Thursday, December 23, 2010

Mary: A Different Perspective

For years, one character in the Christmas story I could not stand was Mary. Honestly. She has been so elevated to such a high state of holiness, and so admired by countless numbers of people that I had a distaste for her seeming "perfection". She was one Bible character I could not relate to, and thus, kept my distance from her.

But this Christmas , I have a different perspective.

While reading the Christmas narrative this year, I was amazed at this young girl's maturity of character. We read in Luke 1:29 after the angel Gabriel greeted her: "But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be." Okay, first point of maturity. She thought before she did anything!

We have all heard the old adage, "Think before you speak", and that's exactly what Mary did. Mary considered things, weighed all options, and showed great discernment. Now, if I were in her shoes, and a great white angel appeared from nowhere, saying, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!", I would have probably started saying, "'Greetings?' Me, favored? Okay, what's going on here? Who are you, and what are you doing?" Or I would have been stunned into a complete brain freeze, or perhaps went into hysterics! (Well, maybe that's a little extreme.) Mary waited for the angel to continue, while a million different thoughts probably flashed through her head.

She quietly listened to Gabriel speak, probably feeling overwhelmed about being the mother of the Messiah...and then totally confused. "And Mary said to the angel, 'How will this be, since I am a virgin?'" (Luke 1:34). Mary was very practical. (Wow, she is reminding of my mom!) How could she be a mother to the Messiah if there was no father? Wow, she was practical. :) She had common sense and a good head on her shoulders.

Next, Mary showed the beautiful character qualities of submission, humility, servitude, and love when she replied to Gabriel in verse 38: "And Mary said, 'Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.'" She humbly submitted to her Lord's will, showing her love for the Lord, and a willing heart to serve Him out of that love.

Here was a young teenager, displaying more maturity than I'll probably ever have! I admire her heart and character, and have found a wonderful role model in this young lady.

So in review, Mary was

Discerning;

Practical;

Submissive;

Humble;

Serving;

and Loving.

What wonderful qualities; qualities I continue to work on, and pray the Lord would give me as I grow in His Word and Love.

I must continune to be discerning in my choice of words and actions in the relationships I have; I must continue to think practically (this can be a feat for blonde, you know!) in my home and in public; submission and humility go hand in hand, and I continue to humble my heart to God and my parents; serving, something that does not come easily to me, is a quality I still am working on; and may I always love the Lord and the people He places in my life.

3 comments:

What a neat perspective on Mary. I hadn't thought of it much in depth before, but all of those are wonderful points!! She had the heart of a true servant. The character qualities she showed are all areas I need to work on in my life :)

I am learning to decrease while Christ increases, so I will attempt to introduce myself without self-centered promotion or subtle boasting! (Do you know how much of a challenge it is?)

My name is Taylor Garms, and I am the third child of David and Kris Garms. Our family of ten lives primarily in a comfortable home amidst the swamps of Braham, Minnesota, though several members now live away from home. Those who are still at home are involved in music ministry and travel across the United States as The Garms Family (we love Southern Gospel, with several other genres mingled in for variety).

I am a grateful 2010 homeschool graduate (what a privilege homeschooling was and is!). Photoshop is almost always running on my MacBook Pro as I manage a small graphic design business. I enjoy writing books (they are never seen by anyone other than the other members of the "Hooded Authors Club") and songs to encourage the church. I muse out loud at ArisetotheCall.com. Besides these, I love drawing with pencils, dabbling in photography, and cooking up spicy meals for my family (if you dare, ask about my famous fried potatoes!). And, as somewhat of an extrovert, I like to talk and spend time with those I love.

People have labeled me everything from "fundie" to "liberal", but I prefer to be simply known as a follower of Christ.

What in the World is LACHELN?

I have had many people ask me what "lacheln" means, as I often fail to make some mention of its meaning. No, it is not Russian, nor Welsh for "sincerely", nor an acronym for "Lost A Crazy Huge Earmuff Last Night" (these are true speculations by confused friends :).

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Verses of the Year: Philippians 3:8-10

"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death."

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We cannot chose the gifts we are given, but we can chose how we use them.